1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for providing additional communication services by communication companies that provide communication services between communication terminals and switching offices.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional communication network.
In FIGS. 1, A, B, and C represent separate communication companies that provide communication services such as, for example, long distance communication. When a calling party 201, which subscribes for a fee to a communication company's communication services, makes a call using that company's communication services, the communication company connects a switching office 202 closest to the calling party to a switching office 203 closest to a called party by a private communication line 205 owned by that communication company.
Since a plurality of communication companies provide communication services in the above-described form, a calling party can contract with a plurality of communication companies and use communication services of the communication company offering communication services with the most desirable features, such as, for example, the lowest cost.
A communication company often provides calling parties with additional services, such as, for example, communication charge discounts based on the length of time during certain periods of the day a subscribing calling party uses the communication company's communication service. Such additional services are intended to entice calling parties to use the communication company's communication services as much as possible for the calling parties' communication needs.
A plurality of communication companies conventionally provide communication services between mobile communication terminals and switching offices. In the future, it is expected that communication terminals will be developed that will allow users to contract with a plurality of communication companies for communication service between communication terminals and switching offices. In addition, it is possible that each communication terminal will be connected to a plurality of communication companies.
When a calling party can select a particular communication company's communication services from among a plurality of communication companies to call a communication terminal usable with a plurality of communication companies, each communication company endeavors to entice as much use of its communication services as possible.